Fuse for projectiles



A. CHANARD.

FUSE FOR PROJECHLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1913.

1,346, 177. Patented July 1 3 SHEE!SSHEE l.

' In entor:

Attorney,

A. CHANARD FUSE FOR PROJECTHLESI APPLICATION HLED may. 2. 19:8.

Patented July 13, 1920.

a SHEEIS-SHEEI 2.

- Inwentor:

f fluakbr Attorney.

A. CHANARD.

FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, ms.

Patented July 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fig.6.

. I EE QQQQEEI-IKN AUGUS'IE en'ammn, or RUEIL, manor.

FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d 1 13 1920 Application filed November 2, 1918. Serial No. 2$0,899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE CHANARD, of 16 Avenue de Paris, Rueil, Seine et Oise, in the Republic of France, chemist, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Fuses for Projectiles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Time fuses, that is to say fuses enabling the charge of a projectile to be ignited at a pre-determined point of thetravel of the projectile as hitherto devised, comprise joints, levers and numerous parts rendering the operation thereof delicate and uncertain and liable to occasion the stoppage thereof.

On the other hand the safety devices with which these fuses have to be provided are generally hard to operate, so the action thereof is uncertain.

The present invention relates to a time fuse the construction of which is of great simplicity and the working easy and certain.

This fuse is essentially characterized by the combination Of a movable striker that is unlocked automatically,

Of a fixed anvil carrying bar,

Of a locking device consisting of balls, normally keeping the movable striker stationary, and

Of a safety device connected with the lockin device of the fuse.

y way of example the accompanying I drawing shows the invention applied to a fuse for aerial projectiles.

Figure 1 shows an elevation of a time fuse according to the principle of the invention. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan thereof.

Fig. 3 is'a sectional elevation on' the line AA in Fig. 1, showing the parts of the fuse before operating.

Fig. 4 also shows a section of the fuse when the parts thereof are operating.

Figs. 5 and 6 show on a larger scale another constructional form of the fuse.

Figs. 7 and 8 and Fig. 9 show two other constructional forms of the fuse.

As'may be seen from Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing the present time fuse comprises an ogival head a provided with a screw thread a enabling it to be fixed on to the projectile b. To the base of the said ogive is screwed a plate 0 carrying a tube a, at the lower part of whichis arranged the anvil e, carrying a priming 6 This anvil is jammed against a shoulder 03 presented by the tube d, by means of another tube f screwed into the extremity g and subjected to the action of a spring h, the tendency of which is to cause the extremity g of the striker to strike violently against the priming e.

The striker g is normally kept away from the anvil e by means of a locking device con sisting of balls 2' each of which is fixed to the end of one of the arms of a spring 7', made of piano wire, lodged in the ogival head a. The other arms of these springs are embedded in seatings 7' provided for this purpose on the plate 0 ,(Figs. 3 and t). i

The balls 2' are engaged in cavities formed in the tubular upper part of the striker and they are kept in these cavities by their contact with a central rod Z, virtually integral with the safety device.

The latter consists of a small screw. on, placed outside the projectile b and fixed on to the extremity of the rod Z. The part of this rod located above the balls 2' is screw.- threaded and engaged in' a tapped plug n screwed to the top of the ogival head a. The A transport of the projectile, the various parts of the fuse are in the position shown in Fig. 3, thestriker 9 being kept raised and its spring it being compressed by the engagement of the locking balls z' in the cavities is and by the contact of these balls with the smooth part of the rod 1. j

-The diameter and position of the balls are such that when the rod l is engaged between the .said balls the latter project slightly out of the tubular part of the striker in such a way that if in consequence of shock the springs happened to be deformed, the balls would come to bear against the platefC and would prevent the device from operating accidentally.

When the projectile carrying the fuse is discharged in consequence of the displaceint ment produced by the fall 0% the projectile the screen m unscrews. @n account of this fact the smooth part of the rod Z slides b tween the balls 71 without the latter often ing any appreciable frictional resistance suddenly, and, with a force depending on the power of the spring strikes against the priming e thus bringing about the ignition of the charge of the projectile.

It is to be observed that the balls are held in their places by the rod Z, which completes the locking of thedevice. The unlocking which will result in the fuse operating is automatic, and this operation is always insured as the unscrewing of the safety device takes place without any effort other than that of the friction of the rod Z in the screw-threaded plug n.

Further, with this device the safety arrangement receives no overload on account of the fact of the spring acting on the striker, which leaves it its full sensitiveness of working.

On the other hand it is possible to, vary at will the moment of igniting the projectile by increasing or diminishing the length of the screw-threaded part of the rod Z.

Figs. 5 and 6 show another, constructional form of the present fuse.

In this modification the balls '5 supporting the striker g bear, not on the extremity of springs, but on the guiding tube oZ which isprolonged right to the point of the ogive a and is screwed into the latter.

The balls i are free and are engaged in the cavities is in the tubular part of the striker by the periphery of the tube d1, These balls are kept in their places by the action of the springs 0 fixed to the tube (Z.

by means of screws 0 and engaged in recesses 39 formed in this tube.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification of the latter device.

p In this modification'the guiding tube (Z of the striker is prolonged right to the ogival head 9 and is screwed into the latter, as has just been said. The halls i are kept in their places under the action of an annular rin "formin a s rin of suitable cross section. llhis ring may be open or closed.

Fig. 9 of the drawing shows another constructional form in which the balls are double, that is to say, the locking device comprises two rows ofsuperposed balls united in pairs by means of levers ,r forming a spring jointed in the middle to supports virtually integral with the plate 0.

In this case the balls in the lower row are engaged in cavities in the tubular part of the striker and these balls are maintained in position in consequence of the contact of the balls in the upper row with the smooth part of the rod Z. When the helix m rotates the lower balls liberate the striker when the conical part Z of the rod Z comes opposite to the upper balls.

In the constructional forms that have just been described the striker g carries the contact head 9 and the anvil c the priming 6 but, it will be obvious that this arrangement might be reversed z. 6., the priming might be carried by the striker and a contact head or block by the anvil.

The above arrangements have only been given by way of example, and the forms, dimensions and details of construction may be varied according to circumstances without altering the principle of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A time fuse for projectiles comprising a tubular striker, spring means for operating'the striker, cavities in the sides of the striker, ball members located in said cavities and locking the striker in position in readiness for operation, a central rod located in the tubular striker and having a rotating screw and a screw thread for causing axial movement thereof, spring means located at the said cavities and holdin the balls in contact with the central ro said spring means being adapted to cause the release of the striker by the ball members.

2. A time fuse for projectiles comprising a tubular striker, a compression spring surrounding the striker and adapted to move same longitudinally to effect the operation, cavities in the sides of the striker, balls located in the cavities and locking the striker in-position in readiness for operation, a rod in screw threaded engagement with the pro jectile and projecting into the striker, an external screw for rotating the said rod and thus causing longitudinal movement thereof, spring means positioned in the projectile and forcing the said ballsv against the rod, and a cone end on the rod to control the movement of the balls as same are forced inward by the spring means to cause the release of the striker.

3. A. time fuse for projectiles, comprising -a tubular striker, spring means for operating the striker, cavities in the striker, corresponding cavities in the projectile, a central rod projecting into the striker, screw means for-moving the rod longitudinally, balls'located in said cavities, springs secured in the projectile and pressing the said balls against the said rod and adapted to force the balls ill out of the cavities so as to release the striker when the rod moves out of engagement with the balls.

4;. A time fuse for projectiles comprising a hollow striker having a closed striking end,

an operating spring inclosing said striker and compressed between the projectile and a shoulder on the striker, cavities in opposite sides of the striker, corresponding cavities in the projectile, balls located in the cavities, a central rod projecting into the hollow striker, an external screw for rotating said rod, a screw thread for causing a longitudinal movement of the rod, when rotated, longitudinal side springs secured to the projectile and exerting pressure upon the said balls to force same inward against the rod, and a cone on the rod end for guiding the balls as they are pressed inward by the springs.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in or relating to fuses for projectiles signed by me this eighteenth day of September, 1918.

' AUGUSTE CHANARD.

Witnesses:

GABRIEL MORISOT, VFRANQOIS WEBER. 

